Enclosure

Babies and juveniles are best kept in 20-gallon terrariums that measure 30 x 12 x 12 inches. While they eventually outgrow this size habitat, some juveniles can have difficulty finding food, thermoregulating, and feeling secure in a larger enclosure.  A small starter tank such as this one is great for a baby beardie.

Adults need at least a 40-gallon tank or a similarly sized enclosure. Those measure 36 x 18 x 18 inches, but some keepers prefer an even larger enclosure, typically 48 x 24 x 24 inches. Consider a terrarium with a screen top and front-opening doors that allows easy access to your animal without disturbing the lighting and heating equipment above. This 50 gallon terrarium is perfect for an adult bearded dragon.

In our adult bearded dragons' enclosures we use a 36-inch Zoo Med ReptiSun T5-HO Terrarium Hood with a 34-inch Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 HO T5 UVB Lamp for UVB lighting and the 100-watt Zoo Med PowerSun UV Mercury Vapor Lamp for heating as well as additional UV. We recommend you use similar products, but scaled down to the appropriate size and wattage for your enclosure.

Sometimes, bearded dragons will open their mouth to help regulate their body temperature. However, if they have their mouth open on the cool side it may be trying to cool down. This could indicate the enclosure is too hot. You can check enclosure temperatures using a temperature gun.

Substrate

We do not recommend using loose substrate such as soil, sand, or wood chips for bearded dragons. If you do, make sure it is not ingested by your animal during feedings. Cage carpet, a reptile mat, or tile is best for baby and juvenile dragons to minimize the risk of impaction (sometimes caused by ingesting substrate). We use and highly recommend tile because it is easy to clean, helps to file down their nails, and is safe as it cannot be accidentally ingested. Be sure to use shelf liner, paper towel, or other material for padding under the tile. Try to trim the tiles so they fit tightly together with no gaps. If you don't have extra tile laying around, check with your local hardware store as they may sell boxes with broken tiles for a discounted rate.

Occasionally, female dragons may need to lay eggs, whether they've mated or not (think chickens). If your beardie exhibits digging behavior, such as clawing inside their hide or a corner of their enclosure, promptly provide a deep, moist substrate deep enough for them to dig into. Their digging substrate can be place directly in their enclosure, inside a removable nesting box placed inside their enclosure, or in dig box separate from their enclosure.

Make sure their food dish is short enough to allow easy access. An unused food container lid works just fine. For handling insects we recommend wooden tongs, or even wooden chopsticks. Since beardies usually find bugs much more appealing than vegetables, we encourage ours to eat their veggies by placing greens on top of live prey. Sometimes, sprinkling a beardie's food with bee pollen will make it more enticing.

Vitamin and mineral supplements help ensure your bearded dragon is getting the proper nutrients. Please consult your veterinarian for their recommendation, as a specific animals may have different health needs, but at a minimum you should dust their food with a broad multivitamin at least once a week and calcium three to five times a week. Use a salt shaker or reuse an old seasoning container to easily dispense supplements and a small, sealable container to gently shake food with supplement powder for an even coating.

Behavior

Other than making you laugh, these are some of the things you can expect from your pet bearded dragon.

Basking - this is what they'll be doing most of the day. When they're not expecting to be fed or doling out disapproving looks.

Brumation - similar to hibernation, bearded dragons in the wild brumate during winter when their environment gets cold, daylight hours are reduced, and resources become scarce. Some pet bearded dragons brumate even if temperatures and visible light hours haven't changed. They will spend most of their time in their hide, sleeping more and eating less. Be sure to monitor their health during this period, as those behaviors can also be a sign of illness.

Head Bobbing - a show of dominance. Most common in adult males, this is intended to intimidate other males and attract females. If you see this occurring, we recommend playing fast-paced music and bobbing along.

Arm Waving - as much as you'd like to think they're just saying hi (although feel free to wave back and greet them), this is actually their way of communicating submission. This behavior is most common in juveniles and some female adults but is rarely seen in adult males.

Defensive Behavior - baby beardies are tiny and easy prey in the wild, so they are more skittish than their adult counterparts. By the time you get one from us, they will have outgrown their instinct of attempting to be scary by lifting their little heads up and opening their mouths, sometimes jumping and trying to bite. Adult bearded dragons (usually males) will get defensive by opening their mouth wide, puffing their beard (gular), flattening their body to make it wider, and getting "fired up."

Getting Fired Up - dragons will turn darker, almost black, on various parts of their body. This will usually happen on their beard and tail, but sometimes a dark, intricate pattern will show on their typically white bellies. This can happen if they feel threatened or upset.

Avoid touching your dragon if they defensive or fired up.
Bearded dragons rarely bite, but are more inclined to do so if they feel threatened.
They can also inflict pain with their spiked beard and lateral fringe.
To protect your health, be sure to wash your hands after handling them or items in their enclosure.

Health Concerns

A major health condition that affects bearded dragons and other reptiles is Metabolic Bone Disease, or MBD. Caused by insufficient UVB lighting and/or improper amounts of calcium and vitamin D, MBD can result in behavioral changes, deformities, even death. The good news is, it is completely avoidable! Just light cycle them daily with UVB and dust their food with calcium!

Egg retention may occur if your female beardie doesn't feel comfortable laying eggs. Provide the appropriate substrate or a dig box for her to lay her clutch. Afterwards, provide clean water mixed with a generous amount of calcium water. Calcium water may have to be administered with a transfer or oral syringe.

Some overlooked health concerns include:

• Stuck shed - keep an eye on the tail tip and toes for signs of stuck shed. Over time this may cause injury to your dragon. If this happens, try soaking in warm water and gently picking off the stuck shed. Commercially available shed aids are not necessary.

• Overgrown fingernails - their nails can get really long, especially if they are on a softer substrate. Trim their nails as needed, we recommend cutting just the ends using a cuticle trimmer.

Other health concerns include respiratory disease, often caused by high humidity or cold and gastrointestinal illness, which could be caused by a variety of factors, including poor husbandry.